The National National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), is recognised internationally for excellence in research, service and training to support occupational health services not only in South Africa but also in Southern Africa through its extensive outreach activities and collaborations.

The NIOH has made great strides in terms of its overall objectives, particularly around quality, and continues to provide training, service and research assistance to a wide range of local, provincial and central government stakeholders.

The NIOH provides cost effective occupational health services to national and provincial government departments as well as support for occupational health and safety inside the NHLS. This support work has included advice to regulatory authorities, employers, unions and individual employees.

The NIOH investigates occupational diseases and has laboratories for occupational environment analysis. The NIOH provides a range of services to support occupational health, including the statutory autopsy service, advisory services, information services, specialised laboratories and heath hazard evaluations.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology

The main focus areas of the Epidemiology and Surveillance section are surveillance, research and teaching of occupational epidemiology and consultation. Collaboration with other sections and institutions was encouraged to support strategic development and research into nationally important needs, such as women and reproductive health.

Core Functions

The Epidemiology and Surveillance section of the NIOH is involved in:

Conducting independent and commissioned research.

Research projects, including policy development projects.

Monitoring trends in occupational health.

Identification and quantification of occupational health problems.

Collaborative field surveys.

Teaching of Occupational Epidemiology.

Consulting on research in disease and hazards in the workplace.

Advisory services to support occupational health practice.

Research in occupational health indicators.

Using open software in database development and descriptive analysis of data.

Dissemination of research findings and other occupational health information.

Past and Current Research Areas

Development of occupational health indicators for South Africa.

Publication of occupational health indicators reports.

Identification of Research Questions in Occupational Health in South Africa.

Research into reproductive health effects of occupational exposures using time-to-pregnancy tool (the first African studies to do so).

Study on long-term asbestos exposure and disease in Prieska.

Quantification and determination of prevalence of TB in healthcare workers.

Fatalities in the construction industry.

Health hazard evaluations in various industries.

Occurrence and causes of occupational respiratory diseases.

Occupational health among women workers.

Development of method of attribution of lung cancer to asbestos exposure in autopsied miners, using pathologic and microscopic evidence, for compensation purposes.